The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-09-03
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.



Though the interior of the body retains quite
constant heat of SO to 100 degs, the temperature
of the skin varies considerably in different parts.
Prof Kunkel, at Wurzburg, has just found that
in the face in adult men it ranges from IS to SO
degs. The skin of the more exposed parts of the
body, the nose and the ears, shows lower tenn
perature, seldom exceeding rs degs., and even de-
scendng to Ills. The highest surface tempera-
ture appears in men in the full vgor of life, and
the remarkable fact is observed that the skin of
children is cooler than that of adults-being from
~ to "a degs.
THE DANGER IN MOULD.
In the opinion of DIR. M. w. Taylor, of the Lon
don archaeological Society, some common kinds
of mould may give rise to diphtheria. He gives
instances in which serious outbreaks have been
traced to the mould developed on the wet plaster
of eaky walls, while old feeces of wool and moudy
skins appear also to be sources of dphtheretic in
fections.
w STELLAR INFLUENCE ON CLIMATE.
In paper to the Liverpool Astronomical Socie-
ty, Mr.W. H. s. Monck suggested lately that the
puzzling climatic variations recorded by the rocks
may have been produced by the near approach to
the earth of intensely hot stars. This may have
been due to the cling of the star ITSELF or to
the motion of the solar system in space. Moving
with the earth's own rate celestial body would
traverse in 81, 900 900 years the distance separa-
ting our globe from the most remote of the 10000,
900 stars visible in the most powerful telescopes,
making it possible that, with suitable proper mo-
tions any or every star known may have visited
the solar system during the period commonly
sumed by geologiss to have elapsed since the first
dawn of life. Intensely hot stars may have added
materially to the earth's heat without coming suf-
fciently near to greatly derange the planetary
orbits.
A POWERFUL BATTERY.
The largest secondary battery yet constructed
is probably that in the basement Of the City Hall
of Paris. 1t includes 165 gigantic elements, 10
inches in diameter and 81 inches in height, and it
yields power of 100 horses 1t weighs IL tons,
and contains 975 gallons of liquid. Its purpose
is to regulate the 22OU Edison lamps that light
the Hall of Fetes and the adjacent salons, the con-
tract requiring that the battery shall keep up the
light from 20 to 30 minutes in case Of accidental
stoppage of the machines. The current producing
machines for this part of the illumination alone
are three large Gramme dynamos aud four steam
engines, of total power of 100 horses.
WHERE PHTHISIS STRIKES.
In consideration of pulmonary consumption,
Prof. Hirsch reaches these conclusions j. Phthisis
is everywhere prevalert,-being disease of all
times countries and races,-but it is rare in polar
regions and rarer still at high attitudes. 2. 1t
chiefly results from crowdng and bad hygiene.
3. Heat and cold, by themselves, have no influence.
4. Damp, with frequent changes in temperature,
predisposes to the disease, but dampness OF the
soil has more effect than humidity of the air. D.
Occupation has most important but chiefly IN
direct influence, according to its tendency to good
or bad hygenic conditions. Prof. Hirsch finds
the worlds death rate from phthisis to be 8 per
1,000 or nearly One-seventh of the mortality from
all causes. In Vienna the rate is III per 1000;
in Berlin and Dresden, only 3.S; while among
nomad tribes, the Kirghz of Central Asia and the
Bedouins of Arabia. the disease is unknown ex
cept when the members change their habits and
live in towns.
ANETHETTC WARFARE.
humane German chemist has hit upon an idea
which, if adopted, would be worth dozen new
explosives. He makes a bullet SO brittle that 1t
breaks when it strikes, and, powerful anesthetic
being enclosed, that renders instantly and CON-
pletely insensible any persons that may be wound
ed by it. The insensibility lasts at least twelve
hours, during which time the bodies may be COM
fortably removed to hospital, with great re-
duction of suffering on the battle field. Such, al
least, is what is claimed.
HsA MISCELLANEOUS.
A severe electric shock was felt by telegraph
operator of Nice during the earthquake Of Feb
49, study of the phenomenon has convinced
M. Onmus that earthquake movements are nor
maly accompanied by strong electric currents.
Sudden changes in atmospheric pressure at
Berlin seem to have been connected with the So
nora earthquake. 1t will be remembered that the
Krakatoa eruption produced an airwave that
passed several times round the earth.
A curious local anesthetic of the Chinese is in
the form of hard, wax-like tablets. 1t seems to
owe its benumbing property to secretion from
the skin of frogs.
The water in an old English well, 2O7 feet deep,
was carefully observed last year, and shown to
vary only 1.9 deg. in temperature during the year.
By careful experiments, NJ. Block has deter
mined that it takes LIZ of second longer to hear
a sound than to see a sight, and III of second
longer to feel a touch than to see sight.
A Russian physicist finds that, contrary to gen
eral belief the strength and property ofelongaton
are increased by low temperature in iron and STEEL
the force of cohesion being intensified by contrac-
ton.
psasnum. wire, 1880,
circuit with charged accumulation, an induction
coil and receiving telephone, and when the cur
rent had heated the wire, words spoken to the
latter were audible in the telephone.
Frolich declares that it cannot yet be determined
whether the sun grows hotter its spots grow
fewer